There are a number of big time rookies on the defensive side of the ball that have a lot of potential this year, and NFL betting fans are going to have a tough time sorting out who should win the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Check out these NFL betting futures odds on which player will walk away with this illustrious defensive honor.

The top defensive player drafted this year was Morris Claiborne (Odds To Win Rookie of the Year: 6 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook). We know that Mo has a heck of a lot of talent; just ask his college coach, Les Miles. Claiborne has the potential to step right into the secondary of the Dallas Cowboys and make a big difference, especially knowing that he is already on a ‘D’ with some talent. That being said, it is usually awfully difficult for a rookie DB to come in and win the Rookie of the Year honors, knowing that interceptions don’t usually come as often as sacks, and certainly not as often as tackles. It would take a yeoman’s effort this year for Claiborne to win the Rookie of the Year honor.

And that’s why we think that the top linebacker that was taken in the NFL Draft, Luke Kuechly (Rookie of the Year Odds: 5 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook) could be the man that walks away with the honor. Kuechly was a tackling machine in college for the Boston College Eagles, and though we think that he was drafted a good 6-8 spots too high, we do have a real appreciation for what his new team, the Carolina Panthers are trying to do. The Panthers play a heck of a lot of defense, and teams usually try to run the ball down their throats with their weak defensive line. That’s how Kuechly set all sorts of records in college with tackles. He has a nose for the football, and when he gets going, there might not be a lineman in the league that can keep him from getting his hands in on the tackle on a running play up the gut. Don’t be all that shocked if Kuechly ends up with well over 100 tackles for the season, and if that turns out to be the case, he’ll be the Defensive Rookie of the Year.

We feel like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a great selection when they took Mark Barron (Top Rookie Safety To Win Rookie of the Year: 12 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook) with the sixth pick in the NFL Draft. Barron just knows how to win. He can come up and make tackles against the run, and he is a ball hawker in the secondary as well. Barron is the man that was picked by Head Coach Greg Schiano thanks to his leadership and his skills, and he could end up bringing that sense to the Tampa Bay secondary, just as John Lynch did when the Bucs were at their best in franchise history. We don’t know if those intangibles will end up helping Barron win the Rookie of the Year Award, but we definitely want to keep a close eye on his stats, which might be good enough at the end as well.

Defensive linemen this year might be a tad tough. We’d be willing to give a shot to Bruce Irvin (Defensive Rookie of the Year Betting Lines: 20 to 1 @ WagerWeb Sportsbook) of the Seattle Seahawks. We think that Irvin and Whitney Mercilus have the best chance to lead all rookies in sacks this year. Head Coach Pete Carroll has been looking for pass rushers for quite some time, and Irvin might be the man that is able to do that. A lot of these West Virginia defenders have proven to be vicious at the next level, and Irvin might be the next in line to really make an impact at the NFL level. Carroll, a defensive specialist, believes that picked the best pass rusher in this draft, and if that really is the case, this could be the Defensive Rookie of the Year at a very, very nice price.

Odds To Win Defensive Rookie of the Year @ WagerWeb Sportsbook (as of 7/26/12):
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Bruce Irvin20 to 1
Casey Hayward 15 to 1
Chandler Jones 8 to 1
Courtney Upshaw 10 to 1
Dont’a Hightower 10 to 1
Dontari Poe 15 to 1
Dre Kirkpatrick 10 to 1
Fletcher Cox 10 to 1
Harrison Smith 15 to 1
Janoris Jenkins 15 to 1
Jerel Worthy 25 to 1
Luke Kuechly 5 to 1
Mark Barron 12 to 1
Melvin Ingram 18 to 1
Michael Brockers 18 to 1
Morris Claiborne 6 to 1
Mychal Kendricks 15 to 1
Nick Perry 10 to 1
Quinton Coples 15 to 1
Stephon Gilmore 15 to 1